What affects my air?

Contact: Elizabeth Schmitz 800-928-0047

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 29, 2008) -- Air quality varies depending on weather conditions, sources of air pollution in your community and pollutant transported by wind.

Ozone and particle-forming pollutants come from a number of sources.  Mobile sources like cars and trucks account for over 25 percent of air pollution in the United States.  In Kentucky, power plants, industry and open burning are the largest sources of pollution in Kentucky.  Illegal backyard burning is estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to be the largest nonpoint source of dioxin pollution in the United States. Dioxin is a toxic air pollutant that has been associated with cancer, birth defects and nervous system damage, and is released when anything containing chlorine, like plastic, is burned. Natural sources like wildfires also contribute to particle pollution. 

The role of weather cannot be underestimated when it comes to pollution. Winds carry pollution in and out of communities.  Heat and sunlight promote the formation of ozone.  Temperature inversions can trap pollution in an area for days on end.

To learn more about ozone and particle pollution, or to check on the air quality in your region, visit the Division for Air Quality Web site at www.air.ky.gov.

National Air Quality Week, April 28 - May 2, creates an opportunity for Kentuckians to “Be Air Aware.”